Clutch-throwing mechanism.



PATENTED SEPT. 1,1908.

SSHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. G. WESTBROOK. CLUTCH THROWIN G MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1908.

No. 897,830. I PATENTED SEPT. 1, 1908. J. G. WESTBROOK.

CLUTCH THROWING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1908.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

W1 T/VESSES LVVE/VTO/C WM' B y I I M zwfl No. 897,330. PATENTED SEPT. 1,1908.

J. G. WESTBROOK.

OLUTOH THROWING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1908.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

and State of r JAMES G. WESTBROOK, OF OGDENSBURGi, NEW YORK.

CLUTGH-THBOWING MECHANISM.

Specification o f Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1, 1908.

Application filed January 20, 1908. Serial No. mew.

To all whom it may concern:

Be'it known that I, JAMES G. WESTBROOK, a citizen of the Ogdensburg, in

New I I and useful Improvements 1n the county of St. Lawrence tain newClutch-Throwing Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the inventlon, such as will enableothers. skilled in the art towhich it 'appertains to make and use thesame.

in ower controlling apparatus, and particu arly to clutch throwingmechanism and means for controlling the same at a distance.

One of the objects in view is the throwing of a clutch actuating sleeveby a fluid pressure actuated piston controlled at a dis,- tance whilethe parts are maintained in accurate alinement by the employment of abearing box for the shaft on which the shiftable sleeve is mounted,which bearing box is formed integral with the cylinder of the pistonemployed for actuating the sleeve, the longitudinal axes of saidcylinder and bearing box being parallel.

With this and further ob ects in view, the invention comprises certainnovel constructions, combinations and arrangements of 4 dicated forinstance in' my own ents, to shift clutch mechanism by the known inparts as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed. 1

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a perspective view of astructure embodying the features of the present invention. Fig. 2 .is alongitudinal, vertical, central section 'therethrou'gh. Fig. 3 is atransverse, vertical section taken on the lane indicated by line 3, 3 ofFig. 2, and ooking in the direction indicated by the arrow, the powerwheel in the rear being omitted for the sake of clearness. Fig. 4 isvertical section taken through the shifting yoke and its connectingsleeve.

It has heretofore been proposed, as inprior patemployment of afluidpressure actuated piston controlled at a distance, but diflicultyhas been experienced in preventing lateral or twisting strains and themaintenance of the parts in proper alinement relative to each other.

Apparatus such as has heretofore been United States, residing at- York,have invented oer- This invention relates to improvements the art hasbeen found to involve com stallation, :as well as a relatively largeexpense of maintenance, and to overcome both of these difficulties aswell as to attain other desirable results, which will become in partobvious and will in part be set forth 111 aratively great initialexpense for in-' etail hereinafter, I cast a base or bracket plate 1integral with a cylinder 2 and the main or lower portion of the bearingbox 3, the said bearing box and cylinder being also cast integral witheach other. Journaled in the bearing box 3 is a drive shaft 4 which isretained in position against upward movement by the bearing cap 5, whichcap is formed with a horizontal, laterally pro-- jecting flange 6 atoneside adapted in operation to be slid longitudina transverse groove 7 inthe bracket late 1 in position for engaging the shou der 8 formed bysaid groove. The opposite side of the cap 5 is provided with ahorizontal flange 10 which rests within a suitable seat 11, formedintegralwith the box 3, and the cap is securely retained in place bybolts 12, 12 passed through the flange 10 and the seat 11. Any may berovided on the cap 5. a

The s aft 4 receives its power from any suitable driver 13 keyed to theshaft at one side of the journal box 3 and at the other side thereof theshaft supports a winding drum 14 loosely mounted on the shaft andadapted to be connected therewith byv a friction band clutch 15, thesaid clutch being ada ted to be thrown into operative relation to t eparts by means of a clutch throwing sleeve 16 and a suitable chain oflinks and lever power transmitting devices 17. For the purpose of thisinvention, and devices 17 for actuating the same may be of any preferredtype; The sleeve 16 is slidingly mounted on the shaft 4 and is formedwith an annular groove 18 into which extends ayoke 19 fixed toand-carried by a piston rod 20 which extends into the cylinder 2 and istherein provided with a iston head 21. If desired, a spring 22 may edisposed for en'gagingthe piston'head 21 for insuring release movementof the clutch 15 when the piston head 21 is not-subject tofluidpressure.

It is to be observed that the longitudinal axes of the bearing box andcylinder are parallel and the piston and clutch throwing sleeve willthus be readily maintained 1n condition for moving. in exact alinement.In

ly into a suitable'oil cup 5 of course the clutch 15 25 from anysuitable source and interme iate the length of the pipe 25 is interposeda differential pressure valve 26 of any well known type such forinstance as is fully set forth and described in my Patent No. 785,646,dated March 21., 1905. The valve 26 is controlled in its operation by acontrolling press'ure pipe 27 which may extend to any desired source offluid pressure supply and in the length of which may be provi ed aflexible section as at 27, if desired, for enabling control by theoperator who maybe required to move about. At a point irrthe length ofthe ipe 27 said pipe is provided with any or inary threeway valve 28which is ada ted tobe turned to one of its positions for a mittingpressure through pipe 27. and to tlie otherof its positions forexhausting ressure from the said pipe 27 so that the va ve 26 may bemanipulated by the operator at the point-of valve 28, and when pressureis admitted through pipe 27 the valve 26 will establish communicationbetween the sections of pipe 25 and thus admit fluid under pressure tothe cylinder 2 in the rear of piston head 21 whereby the piston will bemoved outwardly and the sleeve 16 correspondingly moved for throwing onthe clutch 15. When it is desired to release the clutch, it is onlynecessary to turn the valve 28 to the exhaust position, and as soon asthe pressure is drained from the rear of the valve 26 the by-passpressure Will throw said valve to its closed position and will thus openthe section of pipe 25 communicating with cylinder 2 to the atmosphereand permit exhausting of the pressure in cylinder 2 where by the artsare free to be returned by spring 22 to t e released condition.

The yoke 19, as seen best in Fig. 4, is prov vided with hollow arms, andin fa'ct'is preferably made hollow throughout all that portion whichlies in operation in the groove 18 so that if through rapid revolutionof sleeve 16 the parts tend to become heated by friction, the heatradiating surface presented by the hollow interior of the yoke willinsure sufficient distribution of the heat for preventing anyappreciable expansion .of the parts, so that any tendency on the part ofthe yoke to bind against the walls of the groove 18 is obviated. It isto be observed,

of course, that the set screw 23 enables a ready adjustment of the yokealong the length of the iston rod 20 so that in case of wear-of the cain of transmitting gear 17 or other parts of the clutcha compensationfor the excess movement may be had by the ad-- justment of .the yokelongitudinally of the piston rod 20, and it is obvious of course thatthe piston will accommodate itself to any required amount of movement,the piston head 21 moving outwardly under fluid pressure to whateverextent may be permitted by the clutch 15.

The plate 1 is preferably beveled outwardly at its ends so that the saidends will fit snugly within the under-cut grooves of beads 29, 29 formedintegral with the beam or supporting wall '30 and positioned to engagethe ends of the plate 1 when the'plate is slid edgewisebetween thebeads.

What I claim is 1. In mechanism of the class described, the combinationwith a power shaft, a clutch for transmitting movement therefrom, and asleeve slidingly mounted to move longitudinally of said shaft forthrowing said clutch, of a bearing for said shaft, a cylinder formedintegral with saidbearing and having its longitudinal axis parallel tothe longitudinal axis of the shaft, a piston within said cylinderconnected with said sleeve for actuating thesame, and means forsupplying pressure to the cylinder for operating the piston.

2. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with a supporthaving spaced beads formed with under-cut grooves, of a base platebeveled outwardly and adapted to have its beveled portions fit snuglywithin said under-cut grooves, a shaft bearing carried by said ,plate, apower shaft mounted in said bearing, a cylinder carried by said plate inposition for having itslongi- 'tudinal axis parallel to the longitudinalaxis of the shaft, aclutch for transmitting movement from the shaft, apiston in said cylinder adapted to actuate the clutch, and means forsupplying pressure to the cylinder for actuating the piston.

3. In mechanism of the class described,

the combination with a power shaft, of a bearing therefor, a base platesupporting said bearing and formed with an overhanging ortion'or'shoulder, a cap for said bearing aving a portion projecting beneathsaid shoulder at one side, means for securing the opposite side of thecap in position, a cylinder carried by said base plate and arranged withits longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, aclutch for transmitting movement from the shaft, a piston within saidcylinder adapted to actuate said clutch, and means for supplyingpressure to the cylinder for operating the piston.

4. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with a powershaft, of a journal bearing therefor, a plate formed integral with saidbearing and provided with a groove extending longitudinally of thebearing, a cap for said bearing having a flange at one sideextending-into said groove, means at the opposite side of the cap forsecuring the same against movement, a cylinder connected with saidbearing with its axis parallel to the axis' of the bearing, a clutch fortransmitting movement from the shaft, a piston in said cylinder foractuating the clutch,

In" testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES o. WESTB-ROOK.

Witnesses:

SIMON JACOBSEN,- WM. A. WITHMAR.

